page_title: 1917 Nueva Gerona hurricane
section_title: United States
hierarchical_section_title: 1917 Nueva Gerona hurricane / Preparations and impact / United States
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of rainfall totals associated with the 1917 Nueva Gerona hurricane in the United States
context_page_description: The 1917 Nueva Gerona hurricane was the most intense tropical cyclone to strike the Florida Panhandle until Hurricane Opal in 1995. The eighth tropical cyclone and fourth tropical storm of the season, this system was identified as a tropical storm east of the Lesser Antilles on September 20. After crossing the Lesser Antilles, the system entered the Caribbean Sea and achieved hurricane intensity on September 21. After becoming a Category 2 hurricane, the storm struck the northern coast of Jamaica on September 23. Early on September 25, the cyclone reached Category 4 status and attained maximum sustained winds of 150 mph soon thereafter. Later that day, the hurricane made landfall in eastern Pinar del Río Province, Cuba. The system entered the Gulf of Mexico shortly thereafter and weakened slightly. Recurving to the northeast, the hurricane briefly threatened Louisiana before turning toward Florida. Early on September 29, the hurricane made landfall near Fort Walton Beach, Florida, with winds of 115 mph. Once over land, the cyclone rapidly weakened and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone before dissipating on September 30.
context_section_description: On September 23, northeast storm warnings were issued for the Florida coast from West Palm Beach to Boca Grande. On September 25, the Weather Bureau advised marine traffic to remain alert in the Gulf of Mexico, noting that the intensity of the storm was unknown. Later, hurricane warnings were issued from Apalachicola, Florida, to Mobile, Alabama, on September 25. Warnings were also released from Pascagoula, Mississippi, to New Orleans, Louisiana, on September 26. The warnings were briefly discontinued because of track uncertainties, but they were re-issued when the cyclone began to curve northeast. On September 27 and September 28, scheduled vessel trips were cancelled in New Orleans, Louisiana. Marine traffic resumed after the storm passed east of the city. The storm struck the Gulf Coast later than anticipated because of slow forward motion.
  In Louisiana, rain bands produced 6.40 in (160 mm) of rain in Burrwood. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad sent trains on alternate routes because of eroded tracks near Lake Catherine. The effects of the cyclone also damaged crops and timber stands in Louisiana and Mississippi. The storm surge associated with the hurricane moved several structures from their foundations in Buras, Louisiana. There, the storm was blamed for the death of an 8-year-old boy. Nine additional fatalities occurred near Houma after the fishing bark Wanna was wrecked. In Biloxi, warnings prevented considerable loss of shrimp boats. Street cars and other traffic were practically suspended in Gulfport.
  In Alabama, more than 5 in (125 mm) of rain was measured in Montgomery, prompting flood advisories for the lower Alabama River watershed. At Camp Sheridan, a United States Army World War I training camp, the streets were inundated with at least a few inches of water. In Mobile, trees and telephone and telegraph wires were downed, cutting off communications. Roofs were detached and the galleries of houses were torn away. Police stopped the streets cars were operating and shut off the electricity. No boats from the area were lost, and waterfront damage was negligible.
  The hurricane severed communication from Pensacola, Florida, though reports eventually indicated that the wireless radio plant was not destroyed. Several small watercraft washed ashore, including the USS Quincy, and numerous wharves, docks, and boat storages received damage. Total damages reached about $170,000 in the vicinity of Pensacola. Near the city, a portion of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad was 8 ft (2.4 m) underwater, while several of their bridges washed away. At Valparaiso, tides reached 7.5 ft (2.3 m) above normal. Significant destruction of timber occurred in Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties, and crops, structures, and livestock were affected. Strong winds occurred along the southwest coast of Florida, and a wind gust of 44 mph (70 km/h) was reported in Jacksonville. A total of five people were killed in Crestview.
  The storm and its remnants also produced rainfall in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
caption: Rainfall totals (in inches) in the United States
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